Our story thus far… well, this is chapter 3, and begins with just that. The series of excerpts starts at https://mrw.5-cent.us/?p=379
One formatting note: after copying and pasting the previous excerpts, it struck me that I should look at it fullscreen – I almost never fullscreen, I’m on a 24″ monitor… So I did, and it should now look better at any size.
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Chapter 3: In Play
In the months since Tolliver found her, Francoise had been busy. The body modifications complete, a woman assistant had taken her shopping for the kind of clothing that people in what was about to be her social circle would wear. Among the clothes they bought there was a white linen suit that Francoise desired. The woman argued against it, but finally admitted that perhaps it would work. They added a blue blouse, and allowed her to add the jewel-toned green one she desired, and a wide-brimmed, low-crowned black hat. Then there were extensive lessons in manners, and protocol, until she followed them automatically.
A month later, she had her first taste of accompanying Tolliver on a business trip. While he was in a meeting with several other trillionaires, she was out in a room where there was a light buffet and drinks. She was nibbling on a sweet cake when two men came over, picked up cakes, and turned to her.
“I ’ave not seen you bevore,” said one, with dark hair, dark eyebrows, and a heavy Russian accent. “You are new?”
“Oui. I ’ave just joined M’sieur Tolliver’s team, and this is all so exciting!” she burbled. “All zis travelling, and meeting important people….”
The men rolled their eyes. “Th’ excitement’ll wear off purty soon,” said the other, a man of medium height and sandy hair, who spoke with a Midwestern American accent. “We all jus’ wind up standin’ ’round while they argue.” He smiled at her, and held out a hand. “Kin Baker. Ah’m with Mr. Waters.” She shook his hand.
“Yaroslav Ossov,” said the Russian and shook her hand as well. “I am wis gospodin Kagalovsky. Ve might as vell relax. Someone vill tell us vhen meeting is over. Come, let us get drinks, and make comfortable ourselves.” He nodded towards a couch. The three chatted for a while about the city, until all heard the announcement over their phones to be ready to leave.
Francoise stood and shook their hands. “It has been a pleasure, I hope we run into each other again!” Seeing Tolliver coming out with two aides, she followed behind. As they were coming out of the building, she put on her AR headset and spoke to him through it. “M’sieur Tolliver, I should probably be in a second car, at least until I can change my clothes, and
someone can scan me for bugs.”
He glanced back with a hard smile. “Very good, Francoise. We will speak later.” Three cars pulled up, and they got in, with her in the last car. Later in the evening, after dinner, he called her to his room to report. “I was not able to get much useful from zem, although Waters’s man seemed to be curious about our interests in the Chicago area, and Kagalovsky’s man seemed interested in North Africa.” She paused, “Oh, and you may want someone to examine zis,” she said, pulling out a brown-stained napkin from her bag. Opening it, there was a partly dissolved pill.
“I saw M’sieur Baker drop it into ze drink he was bringing me, and I managed to spill ze drink and partly mop it up.”
Tolliver leaned back with a thump against the back of his chair. “Well. Well.” He nodded. “I was not expecting that.” She looked at him, curiously. “It’s not that uncommon to try to slip a new person somethingthat will make them more talkative, but that you caught it is most certainly uncommon.”
“I had heard other women in the hotel talk about someone slipping things in zheir drinks, and what zhey would do.”
He took the napkin, and put it on the table by him. “You had better remember all of those conversations, because the next meeting, I will throw you to the wolves, and we will see how you do.”
“Oui, Phillipe.”
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